John Roy Purchiaroni

John Purchiaroni passed away on Monday, April 22, 2024, in Garden City, Michigan, after several years of failing health. John was born on August 11, 1964 to Roy and Christine Purchiaroni, the youngest of 4 children and their only son. A graduate of Bishop Borgess, he was a third generation Detroiter, minus a brief stint in the Navy in the 80s, and he loved his city, especially the far Westside enclave of Warrendale, where he grew up and lived nearly his entire life. John was an avid reader and a master of Jeopardy, horseshoes, and corn hole. He had a great sense of humor and was an animated and entertaining storyteller, specifically a rotation of vintage stories that have become part of the family lore. He loved cats and dogs, rock and roll, cards and board games, and was an incredibly picky eater. He loved all Detroit sports and the Michigan Wolverines, and he could often be heard yelling at the TV during especially exciting games. He was really in his hay day this year, when the Lions made it to the playoffs. John cheated death 20 years ago, experiencing what can only be described as miraculous healing from a mysterious illness that was never officially able to be diagnosed, and which no doctors could ever explain the spontaneous resolution of. Nevertheless, his family was thankful to God for His grace and mercy, and we are grateful to have enjoyed 2 more decades with him, even as new health challenges increasingly limited him over the past several years. We are glad we had a few more years to laugh at his off color jokes (“You knowwww”) and to roll our eyes at his Robert DeNiro impressions (“Are you talkin’ to me?!”), and he seemed to enjoy the extra time he had to beat us all at Casino or Rummykub, which he was always up for, even when he wasn’t feeling well, right up to the very end. He’d help pull out the kitchen table to fit more chairs and offer you a snack. Until his health began to fail, John enjoyed attending family gatherings with his mom; three sisters, Susan Reno (Don), Janice Smith (Chuck), and Laura Laponsie (Eddie); niece and nephews, Jessica (Daniel), Michael(Kim), Danny, and Nick (Diana); and great nieces and nephews, CJ, Colin, Roman, Ellie, Leo, and Evana, as well as a large extended family throughout Metro Detroit. Although many of his friends predeceased him, he remained lifelong friends with his former brother in law, Oscar Sanchez (Victoria), and his neighbors, Theresa and Tim Klonica, who were especially helpful to him in his final months. John was close to his mother, Christine, who survives him, and who he helped look after following his father’s death. He will be deeply missed by his entire family, and we look forward to celebrating his life at a later date this summer in a memorial service, which was his final request. Arrangements entrusted with Vermeulen-Sajewski Funeral Home, Westland. To share a memory, please use the Share a Memory tab on tis web page.

John Roy Purchiaroni

August 11, 1964 - April 22, 2024